


The Mark of The House of EL

by saya4haji



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, SuperCorp, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-20 09:03:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13714422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saya4haji/pseuds/saya4haji
Summary: Lena has treated Kara to a ladies day at the spa but when they are getting changed Kara notices a tattoo on her friends porcelain skin. Kara's reaction is not what Lena expects. Cue hurt, comfort, misunderstandings, Kryptonian culture and helpful big sisters. Supercorp endgame.





	1. The Spa of revelation and misunderstandings.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rhino (RhinoMouse)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhinoMouse/gifts).



> A/N: I have been regularly retreating into the many Supergirl works as respite from real life over the last year and have been fortunate enough to be able to indulge in the great works of Rhinomouse, DKGwrites, DiNovia and many others. This is my poor attempt at a story to pay back a little of the imagination I have been given from others. It was inspired by Rhinomouses Links series and all the tattoo soul marks. Although not a soulmark fic this one plays with the ideas of tattoos and supercorp. Thanks for all the great stories.  
> _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I don’t understand the human fascination with sitting in mud. A mud bath is an oxymoron, and paying $500 for the privilege seems _insaaaaane_ ,” Kara whined as she followed Lena into the changing room of the spa.

Lena laughed softly and cocked her eyebrow as she surveyed her friend nervously playing with her glasses and glancing around at the expensive changing rooms.

“The ‘ _mud,’_ as you intelligently call it, is filled with minerals, salts and detoxifying properties. It is also a great method of hydrating and exfoliating the skin Kara. Surely you had something similar on Krypton?” Lena replies as she sets her bathrobe on the bench and begins to pull her blazer off.

Kara shuffles closer to Lena and with a faint blush begins to follow suit taking off her blue cardigan. Kara huffs and the patented crinkle between her eyes appears as she grumbles, “ We had something like hot stone therapy as part of the meditations of Rao, but _mud…_ come on Lena it’s so primitive. We had sonic showers which did all of that and left you clean and your muscles soothed.”

“Uh,” Lena groaned as she hopped inelegantly on one foot trying to remove her pencil skirt and stockings at once. “I detect a distinct air of alien superiority in that tone Miss Danvers!” Lena teased.

“It’s not a criticism really, just truth. _You’re_ a genius Lena , you have to see how off it is to go to a spa for relaxation and cleanliness, only to jump into a tub of mud.” Kara rebuked as she shyly turned her back to her best friend and started to remove her blouse.

Lena smirked at her friend’s bashfulness and finished unbuttoning her work shirt. “Fine, fine, it’s a little strange, but the mud is hot and I guarantee you will get out later feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. Even with Kryptonian physiology the extra heat will feel good. And my over worked CEO muscles will finally unclench.”

Kara pulled off her skinny jeans and half turned to give Lena a small smile, “Have I told you lately how good it is not having to hide my identity from you?”

Lena snorted “Yes, although you did such a poor job miss ‘flew here on a bus…’”

“Hey! You said you would stop bringing that up” Kara screeched as she spun around.

Lena Luthor, terrifying CEO, she who eats WASP’s for breakfast and the last of the genius luthor dynasty giggled at her friend’s outrage. Speaking between giggles, “You know us Luthors Kara, never trust us.”

Kara grumbled good naturedly but at realising she had begun staring at the snow white skin of her best friend, in nothing but black lacy lingerie, Kara blushed to the tips of her toes and spun back around. “Sorry” she squeaked.

If Lena was giggling before she was outright laughing now as she gave up trying to remove her bra to sit on the edge of the changing room bench.

“OH Kara,” She said, “For someone raised in an asexual society where the physical form was of little importance but to house the mind, you are terribly prudish. We are best friends, you can look at me, besides this is an open European style changing room, it is sort of expected.”

If possible Kara’s blush worsened, extending to her exposed back. Kara huffed and with valiant effort she turned and looked at Lena from beneath her lashes as she began to remove her bra while reaching for the fluffy spa robe, determined to prove a point.  “I’m not embarrassed, it’s just disrespectful. When I came to this planet Eliza and Alex made such a big deal about not walking around nude, or changing in front of anyone that I kind of overcompensate sometimes.”

Lena who had been laughing before cuts off abruptly at the sight of her goddess of a friend changing. A blush begins to crack through her impenetrable Luthor control and Lena feels her gaze wandering to stare in places it shouldn’t. Jumping back up and spinning around before Kara could notice Lena recites her internal mantra “just friends, just friends” in her head and then offers Kara a breezy laugh.

“Well, feel free to walk nude any time,” Lena flirts hollowly in an attempt to cover her loss of control.

Kara grumbles and finishes undressing as she shucks on the robe and tries to not stare too much at the sight of Lena’s porcelain back, slim legs and tight glutes.

Lena mumbles to herself as she tries to unlatch her bra, “Damn back clasps! I must get my personal shopper to get me some of the front fastening ones, but this brand gives me the cleavage to distract some of the more easily manipulated male board members if you get my drift.”

Lena glances back at Kara “Can you get this for me,?I think I am all fingers and thumbs today.”

Kara nods easily, “Always to your recuse Lena.”

Lena laughs, “That would make a headline, ‘Supergirl  releases prisoners from brassiere trap.’”

Kara had moved closer as Lena spoke and had begun to fiddle with the stubborn catch on Lena’s bra when her eyes darted down to a small black mark peeking out from under Lena’s lacy underwear. Brows furrowing Kara froze The sudden stiffening of her frame to stone, holding Lena in place by the back of her bra reverberated her change in emotion to Lena.

Lena craned her neck to look at her friend who had frozen, even to the point of no longer breathing.

“Kara?” She asked hesitantly, afraid her friends super hearing had picked up something and she was about to be abandoned while Kara saved the city.

“What’s that?” Kara whispered harshly, her brows furrowed and her voice cooler than Lena had ever heard it.

Anxiety twisting in her stomach at what had caused her usually bubbly friend’s face to cloud over, Lena followed Kara’s gaze, twisting awkwardly to see her eyes had fastened to the tattoo faintly peeking out over the edge of her underwear above her left buttock.

“Oh!” Lena whispered and her cheeks instantly darkened to a deep red, a fainter blush extending down her chest and shoulders.

Kara would normally be fascinated by this colour change from the usually stoic and unflappable CEO but her gaze merely flickered from the tattoo to Lena’s worried green eyes and back.

“It’s uh, the super crest…uh I mean, your family crest…” Lena choked out.

“Why?!” Kara asked harshly. The one word, bitten off abruptly, mixed with confusion and repressed anger.

Lena began to shake slightly, caught off-guard by her friend’s unusual mercurial shift in personality. Self-conscious, Lena tried to pull away from Kara but the girl of steel was having none of it and her hands dropped onto Lena’s upper arms. Hands that usually were soft, friendly and reassuring, hands which Lena had dreamt of caressing her were now hard and restraining.

“I uh, I got it when I was in college. It was a sort of rebellion thing. When Lex started sown his anti-alien path…and it would have pissed off my mother. It was sort of like a brand, that I wasn’t like them. A defiance.” Lena rambled, trying to explain an act of rebellion and a promise to herself, made when she was younger, yet as she spoke Kara seemed to flinch at each word as though being struck..

Tears began to prick the corners of Lena’s eyes as she tried to piece together what was causing Kara’s reaction to the tattoo. Was it because she was a Luthor? Kara’s family crest was sacred to her in a way Clark never grasped and she knew seeing it on merchandise hurt, yet her cousin had trademarked it for charity years ago. Kara was selfless enough to let go of her family honour to help others. It couldn’t be that, it was a tattoo, thousands of people had them. After Clark had been presumed dead at Doomsday’s hands it seemed everyone had a Super S tattoo in remembrance. It had to be because she was a Luthor...she could never deserve to wear the crest of the great and noble House of El.

Kara abruptly released Lena who stumbled forward and whirled around to face her friend full on. Kara’s brows were furrowed, her normally clear blue eyes cloudy and filled with tension.

“You have to remove it” Kara’s words dropped between them like a lead weight, toneless, dead things.

“R-r-remove it?” Lena stuttered. Kara couldn’t be serious, they were friends, and yet…

She was a Luthor, show no weakness, not even to…especially not to someone who holds your heart, but whose heart you will never deserve.

Lena straightened her back and crossed her arms across her chest striking her classic CEO pose, back straight and chin tilted up.

“Of course. I will see to it.” Lena answered crisply, fighting tears and to keep her voice from wobbling.

 _‘Stupid, stupid, she was so stupid to think she was enough, to think she was better,’_ Lena thought.

Kara’s mask of cold thunder cracked seeing Lena withdraw behind her walls. Her hand half rose to reach out to her friend but Lena flinched minutely, “Lena...it’s not, I…” Kara began, but Lena cut her off.

“It’s fine. Now, are we bathing in mud or not?” Lena replied coldly as she turned and pulled her bra off with a violent jerk and whirled her robe on.

Kara took a step forward and opened her mouth once, twice, three times as if to speak before letting out a loud gust of breath that ruffled Lena’s robe and the towels in the room.

“Oh Lena, I, It’s not what… but you have to...” Kara tried to explain but the words choked in her throat and she growled in frustration as a tear fell slowly form her eye.

Lena seeing her friend’s distress ignored her own offense and pain. Always, Kara came first, Lena couldn’t ever feel or react in any other way. The walls Lena was erecting to protect herself dropped and she stepped hesitantly forward, “Kara…” She began.

Kara dashed the tears from her eyes and with one last helpless look to Lena she whispered, “I’m sorry…” and then in a rush she was gone, super speeding out of the spa.

Lena let out a breath and collapsed onto the bench and wept softly. “stupid bloody Luthor, never good enough” Lena mumbled to herself as she dug around in her bag for her phone.

“Hello Jess. Yes. No I am still at the spa, but I need you to look into something for me. Yes. Yes I need you to make an appointment with the best tattoo removal clinic in the city as soon as possible. Yes Jess, tattoo removal. Whenever my schedule will allow, rearrange as needed. Thank you Jess, goodbye.”

Lena stood on shaky legs and walked to the door at the end of the changing room and into the mud bath treatment room. Her gaze swept over the two bubbling mud baths sitting side by side and let out a small moan.

“So much for relaxing” Lena grumbled as she shrugged off her robe.


	2. The aftermath and Alex arrives.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Lena returns from the spa, confused at Kara's reaction to her tattoo she is left in limbo wondering what she has done wrong. Lena spirals in her self loathing and confused thoughts while trying to hide behind her Luthor mask. Alex wants answers and not even poor Jess will stop her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter. Very Lena-centric. I hope you all enjoy. And yes I use UK english so I spell things with s instead of z and with extra u's in places.

After finishing at the Spa, Lena strode through the doors of L-Corp, black coffee in hand and her head held high. She nodded to security as they scanned her security badge and she marched into the elevator which a shyly smiling lab technician held for her.

“Thank you Jeremy,” Lena said coolly. Jeremy smiled faintly and took a breath to make the usual pleasant conversation with his boss when he noticed her out of character stiffness. Miss Luthor was always professional but polite, knowing all of her employees, down to the night cleaners by name. Impressive for a woman whose building employs at least 300 people.

Today however, Miss Luthor stood with unnatural stiffness, muscles in her jaw pulsing, not unlike how she held herself at those first tense press conferences when the company moved to National City. Jeremy was no expert but in the handful of meetings  he’d had with her, Miss Luthor had always been polite and asked about his work, as low on the totem pole as he was.

The tenth floor dinged and Jeremy stepped out forcing a smile he hoped offered some measure of reassurance and empathy, “Have a good day Miss Luthor.”

Miss Luthor nodded and attempted to smile back but it seemed her lips just couldn’t summon the will.

The lift closed and Lena slouched against the back of the elevator.

Lena sighed loudly, “Pull it together Luthor,” She whispered to herself.

The elevator dinged at the top floor. The floor dedicated to Lena’s private office, conference rooms and lab. Lena strode off, marching towards her office doors as Jess scrambled from behind her desk to get the door while flicking her tablet on.

“Good afternoon Miss Luthor, I hope your spa morning was nice. Your skin certainly seems to be glowing.” Jess said even as her brows furrowed taking in the stiff posture of her boss. Lena usually returned from the Spa more relaxed and her shoulders less tense, combined with the effervescent effect Miss Danvers has on Miss Luthor, Jess had expected Miss Luthor to be late back and to be walking on clouds.

Lena hesitated and her eyes grew distant as she seemed to get lost in some deep thought. Lena shook herself and the clouds hovering over her were pushed back.

“Thank you Jess, the Spa was fine. What does my schedule look like for the rest of the day?” Lena asked as she breezed into her office, throwing her blazer on a hook and all but running to the security of her power position behind her desk.

Jess, a consummate professional froze her face before it could react to the out of character body language and pulled up her tablet.

“Well, I had not expected you to return until closer to 2pm so you have an hour before the conference call with Mr Fox at Wayne Tech at 2:30 and then you have the 4pm walk through with the R&D teams on the fourth floor. They seem very excited about their plastic denaturing enzyme project. After that you are relatively free, except for the usual mountain of e-mails and documents needing your attention.” Jess summarised, attempting to joke at the end.

Lena’s lips twitched in a sarcastic smile that lacked the warmth it had been holding these last few months in National City. “Quite.” Lena dryly commented, “Well, I will try to wade through some of my paperwork until Mr. Fox’s call. Put him through at once and unless it is an absolute emergency hold all other calls for the rest of the day. With some quiet I might get ahead of some of this work.”

“Yes Miss Luthor.” Jess replied. Her eyes intent on her boss and with a fortifying breath she spoke again even as Lena waved a dismissing hand and turned to her computer. “Since you are back early Miss Luthor, can I presume you would like a kale salad sent up for lunch.”

Lena stiffened for a fraction of a second, a movement that anyone but Jess would miss and then sighed in a falsely careless tone, “Yes, Kara had to leave early as she is want to do and so lunch was called off.”

“Ah” Jess hummed knowingly. This revelation seemingly solving Miss Luthor’s out of character behaviour. Miss Luthor gave the Danvers girl far too many privileges in Jess’ opinion but her positive effect on her boss was impossible to miss. It was understandable that Miss Luthor was upset that her long planned spa morning was cut short and more importantly, her time with the bubbly blond reporter, which she was failing miserably at hiding her crush on, had been cut short.

Lena cocked an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at Jess, who while a great assistant sometimes veered too far into meddling for her liking. Jess dropped her gaze to type something on her tablet before continuing without making eye contact.

“I will have the salad sent up at once Miss Luthor. The research you wanted done on the other matter is in your inbox, but if you would prefer I make an appointment…” Jess trailed off witnessing her stoic boss once again stiffen and if possible go paler than could be considered healthy for her Irish pallor. “Miss Luthor?” Jess asked taking a panicked half step forward.

Lena seemed to choke on air for a moment before coughing and croaking, “That won’t be necessary Jess. I will deal with it. Thank you. That will be all.”

At the abrupt and unusual dismissal Jess nodded and retreated from the office.

Lena let out a long sigh and pushed back in her very expensive executive chair, twisting to look out over the city. Lena’s eyes scanned the horizon and when she realized her gaze was subconsciously seeking out a certain red and blue figure she growled to herself and swiveled back to her computer, dragging up her e-mails and resolutely beginning to read through Jess’s research on the best tattoo removal clinic in the city.

______________________________________________________________________________

Lena did what came naturally when she was stressed: she threw herself into her work. The evening of the disastrous spa outing Lena sent Jess home at 7pm and worked until exhaustion took over and she fell asleep at her desk, knuckle deep in a budget review report.

Lena woke up with a groan and a terrible crick in her neck.

“Uhh, Feck!” she grumbled, falling back on Irish curses from her childhood when tired and half awake. Her bleary eyes found her snoozing computer screen and the time: 7am.

Lena groaned again, she thinks she fell asleep somewhere close to half three in the morning. But now that she is awake the thoughts she had buried beneath work flash through her mind again.

What had she done to so offend Kara? Was a Luthor, her, Lena, so unworthy of her family crest that Kara couldn’t even stomach seeing it on her? When Lena had figured out Kara was supergirl it had given her tattoo new meaning. No longer was it just a silent rebellion against her mother and brother. No longer was it a promise to not become like Lex. With Kara as Supergirl it became a symbol of a real genuine friendship. It became a sign that she had succeeded where her brother failed. A super and a Luthor working together, in peace and as friends. But secretly in the deepest recesses of Lena’s heart the tattoo had become a secret admission of her feelings for Kara. In her day dreams she would imagine Kara caressing the tattoo and calling Lena hers. The tattoo, a sign that she was Kara’s. Lena snorted at her stupidity and then choked on a sob. She was a fool. Kara could never feel that way for her and her reaction to the tattoo only reinforced that. Was it disgust? Outrage? Anger? Lena still couldn’t quite decipher her best friend’s reaction to it. Kara was usually so open and so easy to read, but this….

Lena dragged herself from her desk and towards her personal bathroom. She stalled at the cabinet containing some of the finest scotches that money could buy. Lena’s fingers curled into fists. No, she would not be weak. She didn’t need that to cope…at least not this early in the morning.

Lena washed up and pulled on a clean set of clothes and by the time Jess arrived into work it seemed as though all was well and as if she had gone home last night.

Jess gave her a concerned look when Lena handed over all the files she had signed and worked through last night but she played it off with a cool mask of cockiness, she was a Luthor and had just had a productive evening.

Before Lena threw herself back into the mountain of work ahead of her she checked her phone and tried not to cringe when she saw that there was no message filled with emojis from Kara. Lena sent a quick message of her own:

_-Hi Kara. I am sorry about earlier. Please can we talk. -L-_

Lena waited for the usual rapid reply, but after 10 minutes it seemed Kara was truly ignoring her.

Hell, was Kara not going to speak to her until she removed the tattoo?

Lena choked at the thought and before beginning her work made a call to book a consultation for the removal.

______________________________________________________________________________

The day passed the same as the last and so too did the next. By the third day since “the incident” as Lena was calling it in her head, she was past frantic and settling resolutely into numb. This was, after all, inevitable. How could Lena be so foolish as to think that Kara would ever feel anything for her, and more than that, how could she have ever thought a Luthor having the Super crest was a good idea?

The laser removal for her tattoo was booked in for the start of next week, even all of her money and influence couldn’t get her an appointment any sooner.

Lena had returned home last night to her apartment for a quick shower, scrubbing violently at her Super tattoo. Something that used to make her smile now making her flinch at its mere though.

The shower was a necessary evil however, as Lena had a meeting today in in Catco. The thought of bumping into Kara made her stomach curl. The silence between them since the start of the week making her feel physically ill. These last three days have been the longest and coldest since she came to National City. And by no coincidence it is the longest time in months that she has gone without seeing or speaking to Kara.

Lena applied her vibrant red lipstick ‘ecstasy rouge.’ The name of the colour had made her smile when she picked it out and outright laugh when she had told a blushing Kara when she blurted out in bumbling fashion that she liked her lips, or as she lamely tried to correct, the colour of her lipstick.

The lipstick and business suit were Lena’s armour. Part of the impenetrable Luthor facade she had worn since Lex’s madness had made her public enemy number one the second someone heard her name. That was until Kara at least…

To need this armour on the off chance of seeing Kara momentarily made Lena want to cry. Her mask flickered but with strength of will and a click of Louboutin heels she pulled herself together and walked out the door to the car waiting to take her to Catco.

Lena breathed slowly, counting her breaths and running over the talking points of the board meeting she was heading to. The drop in hard copy circulation and the rise in the websites hits and the need to up advertisement revenue while balancing this with ethical advertising and independence of the media.

The car pulled up and Lena let out a last breath forcing her heart to slow into the cold beat of her business bitch persona.

Lena nodded to her driver and strode into Catco, using the secret keycard Cat had gifted her for her private elevator after she kept Catco out of Edge’s greasy clutches. Lena still thinks of it as one of her greatest achievements: earning the Queen of All Media’s support. Although Lena sometimes thinks it was her friendship with Kara that won that approval rather than the saving of Catco.

By the god’s Lena had it bad. She bought a company for her ‘best friend.’ Her step faltered stepping into the lift and she allowed herself a few deep steadying breaths as the elevator expressed its way to the top floor. No matter how Lena dressed up her purchase of Cattco in business savvy, economic forecast, saving independent media and other excuses, her heart knew the truth. She bought it as a one hundred million dollar gift, just to make Kara happy. And oh, how Kara’s happiness had made every dollar worth it, even if it had tanked and cost her everything. When Kara looked at her like a hero, like a saviour and someone…good. Lena had thought…

The lift doors opened and Lena strode out, her mask firmly reaffixed. A hush grew over the floor and people glanced at her, some even smiling. From Cat’s old fish bowl of an office James Olsen comes walking carrying a spread of photos and articles while Kara talks to him at his elbow. They look happy, engrossed in their work. Jealousy roars in Lena. She is not used to wanting and not having, spoiled rich kid syndrome fighting at her batter self.

James glances up first seeing her. He smiles with the usual hesitancy, unable to let go of his suspicions at her last name. That hesitation is made worse when Kara glances up and freezes at the sight of her.

“Lena” she whispers, her voice small and hesitant in a way bubbly Kara Danvers never is. James’ eyes narrow at the interaction.

Lena takes a step forward and Kara seems to struggle to look at Lena, a faint blush on her cheeks and her eyes darting between her shoes and Lena.

“Miss Danvers.” Lena says the name with cool authority, retreating behind the walls of professionalism. Lena is Kara’s boss. She can do this.

A look of hurt flashes over Kara’s face and she steps forward, her hand lifting for a moment as though to reach out to Lena for a bone crushing hug. Lena can almost feel herself unclenching, crying out for that contact but then at the last moment Kara’s eyes flit down to her left side, as though remembering what is hidden by clothes on her back and Kara flinches. Her move forward is aborted and her hand drops. James Olsen now looks outright suspicious and a hostile gleam has entered his eyes.

Kara’s courage leaves her and she rapidly grabs the spread from James, “I have to get thses to Snapper. Good luck in your meeting James. Lena…Lena I have been so busy. I meant to text…I will call you later…or maybe tomorrow, we’ll talk…” Kara mumbles as she leaves the sentence half-finished and she skitters off to the elevator.

James Olsen is looking even more hostile and before he can speak Lena sweeps forward, “The board waits for no man Mr Olsen.”

Lena doesn’t know what to make of Kara’s behaviour. Will she call? Will she really come by? Why is she still avoiding her?

Involuntarily Lena’s hand reaches down to rub at the damn tattoo that started this whole mess.

__________________________________________________________________________

It is almost 4pm before Lena gets back to her office. Rangling the Catco board and all the creative personalities is so much worse than dealing with WASP business men and logical scientists who she can beat into submission with well-aimed flirtation and her superior intellect, crushing all resistance.

Jess has a continually pinched expression on her face as she returns to her desk after giving Lena her messages from the morning and the files for her attention. Lena dismisses her curtly and closes herself back in her office, refusing more food. Lena’s assistant is no fool. She has joined the dots together and can see that her bosses overworking, stressed and sad demeanour has something to do with the unusual lack of Kara Danvers dropping by with donuts, food and calls which mess up Lena’s schedule but usually make her boss happier and more productive. Jess isn’t sure if they have had a fight or if maybe Miss Luthor made a move at the spa and Kara rejected her. Jess doesn’t know but she is firmly in her boss’ corner. She shouldn’t have been taken in by the cute blonde puppy act, no one is that well-meaning and happy. Damn you Kara Danvers.

Jess will later blame her distracting uncharitable thoughts towards Kara Danvers for missing the second Danvers sister ghosting out of the elevator like a god damned spec ops ninja and getting to Lena’s office door before she has even had a chance to push back her expensive desk chair.

Damn you Danvers sisters.

“Miss Danvers, you don’t have an appointment. Stop, I am calling security.!” Jess calls as she scrambles frantically to stop Alex Danvers but she is too slow.

Alex has crashed through Lena’s office doors and in a heartbeat her deadly glare has landed on Lena who is sitting on her leather couch surrounded by paperwork and wearing a perplexed and saddened expression.

“You!” Alex all but growls, and Lena curls further into herself rather than roaring to fight back with cocky comments and an eyebrow flick as Alex expects.

Alex marches towards Lena and strikes a pose much like Supergirl, hands on hips. At least Lena knows where Kara stole the confident pose from now.

“We need to talk.” Alex says. A statement, not a request. Lena hates being told what she is doing or what she can do. It’s a layover from a controlling mother and a privileged life. Lena straightens and is preparing a prickly barb at the tip of her tongue for Agent Danvers when she hesitates for a second. Lena wants answers too and no one has a better insight into Kara than her overprotective sister.

Lena swallows her comment and fixes her stare upon Alex.

Without breaking eye contact she says, “Leave us Jess. Hold all calls and appointments. Call off security. Agent Danvers, despite her lack of manners is right. We have things to discuss.”

Jess fumbles to get to the door and close it, all the while looking outraged and shooting Alex threatening glares which she seems immune to.

Alex and Lena’s stare off seems to last forever, but Lena’s neck is still sore from too many nights sleeping fitfully at her desk, so she breaks eye contact with a huff, rises from the couch and glides towards her liquor cabinet.

“I have a feeling this will be a scotch type of talk Agent Danvers. 35 years old at least. Have a seat.” Lena says sarcastically.

Alex looks thrown for a second before she picks her way through the mounds of paperwork to sit gingerly on the couch, some of the righteous indignation leaving her as she really takes in Lena. Hunched shoulder, dark circles under her eyes and the distinct lack of fight…one of the things Alex actually really enjoys about the littlelest Luthor. She always verbally spars with Alex and is usually quite funny when doing it. Not today though, whatever is wrong has hurt not only Kara but Lena too.

Lena hands Alex a glass of amber liquid and the women sit opposite each other examining their opposite. Alex had come here ready to tear Lena apart for whatever it was she had done to upset Kara and which had so thoroughly unsettled the superhero that she blushed and stammered at even attempting to discuss what was bothering her. More worryingly was Kara’s confession that it was private between her and Lena, that she would talk to Lena about it when she was ready…all said with a look of shame and embarrassment. That was what really scared Alex. Kara usually told Alex everything and she had never heard shame in her sister’s voice.

Alex was an agent trained in interrogation but when it came to her sister she was brutally direct.

“I admit to not liking you at first Luthor, but then Kara won us round. And since she told you her secret, you two have been inseparable and nothing but good for her…so what the hell happened? Why is my sister looking ashamed, embarrassed and sad, even worse than when Mon-el, the man child. left?”

Lena snorted at Alex’s honesty before the reality of the break in her and Kara’s relationship caused her face to fall. Lena couldn’t lose Kara, even if it’s only her friendship, she has to have that…at least she had that before, she has to have it again.

Lena sighed and with sad eyes said, “I have a Super S tattoo. Kara saw it.”

For a second Alex froze and said nothing. Her eyes grew huge. Of everything, that wasn’t what she expected.

Alex grunted, “Well shit!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the second chapter. The third and final one will finally answer why Kara freaked out. Thank you to everyone who commented and please continue to share your thoughts.


	3. The Revelations.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex reveals the truth to Lena. Kara faces the music and a second revelation is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the final chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Please comment. I had some interesting thoughts about disability in relationship to Kara and her Kryptonian view of it. I would love someone to elaborate on the issue in other fics.
> 
> Again, if anyone wants to take the first chapter or part of it and run in a different direction with the story, feel free.

“Well, that is not the informative reply I was expecting Agent Danvers,” Lena said sarcastically.

Alex’s wide eyes continued to stare at Lena and then flicked across her body.

“Well shit,” she repeated again.

Lena, growing agitated at the Agents lack of response and obvious shock fell back onto more sarcasm to cover the growing cavern of worry in her gut. What is so bad about her tattoo that Alex is so shocked? Have I committed some unforgivable insult, or declared some embarrassing intention to Kara?

Alex like a jack in the box jumped up from the sofa and began pacing rapidly back and forth across Lena’s office. Her eyes flicking away from and back to Lena, while her hands fidgeted, touching her neck and rubbing across her mouth.

Alex mumbled to herself and with more hesitancy than Lena had ever seen her express before she asked “Uh, where…” She made a vague sweeping hand gesture to Lena’s body. “Where is the tattoo?”

Lena flicked an eyebrow at Alex’s out of character behaviour and in a move of brash Luthor pride  that her mother would be disgusted with, she stood and pulled up her blouse and pulled down the back of her pants suit to expose the offending tattoo resting innocently at the very top of her left buttock.

“Gah…” Alex stumbled back shielding her eyes dramatically. Lena rolled her eyes and in a voice as dry as the desert said, “Christ, Danvers, you’re a federal agent and a lesbian, I am sure you have seen more skin than this.”

Alex blushed and tried to regain her composure while her eyes flicked between Lena’s eyes and the tattoo. Alex caustically replied, “I didn’t expect you to almost moon me in your office Luthor. So much for high born manners, and besides, your my sisters…whatever…if she found out you were ripping your clothes off for me she would launch my ass into space.”

Lena was smirking cruelly at the Agents discomfort but froze “What do you mean, your sisters ‘whatever?’” Lena’s eyes narrowed.

Alex blushed slightly and made vague hand gestures before covering her discomfort with bluster and anger. “Oh come on Luthor, you and my sister can play the best friend card all you like, but the cow eyes you make at each other will inevitably only lead to one place.”

Instead of looking satisfied or smug as Alex expected, Lena seemed flabbergasted by this comment, mouthing the words “cow eyes” and before she could be questioned further Alex zeroed back in on the tattoo.

“It’s her family crest, with full textured detail and it’s in black ink rather than the blocky red style most people go for, no wonder she was acting weird and demanded you get rid of it.”

Lena dropped her shirt and focused back on the Agent in front of her but also filled the notion Kara would even jokingly hurt her beloved sister for looking at Lena and the ‘make cow eyes’ comments in the back of her mind.

“Explain.” Lena demanded, her face carved from ice and her eyes narrowed with laser like focus on Alex.

Alex sighed heavily and flopped back on the sofa, grabbing the scotch and downing the glass before closing her eyes with yet another sigh and then squinting side on at Lena standing at the end of the sofa.

“What do you know of Krypton’s Houses and their crests?” Alex asked.

Lena scrunched her brows and her eyes flickered as her vast intellect moved to drag up every morsel of detail she has on these topics.

“Lex researched Kryptonian culture and Kara told me some. It’s not actually an S, but a house crest derived from the ancient logography written form of the Kryptonian word for hope.  The more modern forms of the crest are interpreted as having the house motto: “El mayarah” meaning stronger together. I know that Kara was outraged and then freaked out when she first came to this planet and saw her family crest on mugs, toys and plastered all over the world. On Krypton only family members and those given express permission could wear a House Crest. To wear it without permission or put it somewhere, “unworthy” wasn’t just dishonourable but was actually an outright criminal act, which carried fines and even time in the phantom zone for repeat or grand offenders. But Kara told me that after being here a while she got used to seeing it, that she liked the idea of her family crest living on, and that Clark had trademarked it so that the royalties help defray costs from Super fights and to support a number of charities.”

Lena recited all this with calm surety, dragging up all mentions of the crest and its meaning. The information came easily as she had spent the last three days mulling it over herself trying to understand what about it had freaked Kara out.

Lena took a deep breath after her monologue and looked desperately at Alex.

“Not bad Luthor.” Alex said with a crooked grin.

Lena scowled, “I fail to see how this helps, unless...unless Kara thinks I dishonoured her crest by having it…but she laughed when she saw the crest on toilet seats at that new nightclub, why would my tattoo...I don’t...” Lena shook her head, tears coming to her eyes, trying to make sense of why her best friend was so offended by her bearing her mark.

Alex’s face flew open in realisation at Lena’s self-flagellation. Lena’s lack of self-confidence and hesitancy in her friendships always surprised Alex, she tends to forget that beneath the cool, powerful CEO mask ,Lena was a woman younger than her and from a family where her self-worth was constantly questioned.

Alex slid across the couch and pulled Lena down into an awkward hug, knocking over a bundle of paperwork in the process.

“No, no, no Lena. Of everyone, you are probably one of the few that Kara would actually want to have the right to wear her crest. Heck, I think she would like it a bit too much if truth be told.” Alex mumbled.

Tears now freely trailed down Lena’s cheeks, “Then why is she disgusted by my tattoo?”  Lena cried almost hysterically.

Alex shushed Lena and rocked her gently, surprised by how small the Luthor seemed as she curled in on herself.

After a few minutes when Lena began to calm, Alex whispered, “I said she would want you to _wear_ it Lena. For a kryptonian there is a difference between wearing the crest and having it marked into your flesh, especially in black and in such accurate detail as you have. Most just get monochrome red letter s symbols that miss the detail.”

Lena pulled back, visibly pulled herself together and uttered the words she hated, “I don’t understand.”

Alex sighed again and sat back, staring at Lena in the eye.

Alex sighed heavily yet again, seemingly exhausted by this converstaion and rubbing her face she began haltingly to explain.

“You know that kryptonians reproduce asexually, well all but Kal El?” At Lena’s nod Alex continued.

“It wasn’t just reproduction, kryptonians had perfected genetic engineering on a level we can only dream of…or rather have nightmares about. It’s all a little bit eugenic and Nazi if you overthink it, but the Kryptonians as a society all moved towards gene manipulation as they became a society who worshipped science more than anything else.”

 Alex let out an uncomfortable laugh and side eyed Lena, “Hell, you should have seen Kara as a kid, the first time she met a disabled kid at school. She couldn’t fathom it. And then the idea of innovation coming from working around disability blew her mind. Mom getting her a placement at a special school when she was 16 was a revelation. The kid who had never known sickness or anything but genius, suddenly seeing the world from the perspective of someone with Down Syndrome or Autism. It’s one of the few times she admitted she thought it was that loss of appreciating difference, appreciating anything but perfect which lead to her people’s downfall.”

Lena looks surprised and then her brows scrunched. “I had never really considered the lack of diversity on Krypton, Kara talks about visiting half a dozen different planets as a child and meeting numerous species living on Krypton but I never really thought about a society without eccentrics, without disability or difference to a degree. It explains her fascination and love of visiting the children’s hospitals.”

“That and she is a big kid herself and too damn innocent for her own good too” Alex digs.

Lena nods and after a pause for the two to consider this Alex begins to take up her explanation again.

“So Kryptonians produced perfect children. In such a world where it was a point of extreme pride that a House created a perfect child from the matrix, binding two Houses together, well…tattooing that perfect body would be defamation. It dishonours the person and the House. Kara struggled for so long to understand why we tattooed and pierced ourselves on earth. On Krypton, those expressions of difference and self were just programmed into your genes and expressed in how you appeared.”

Lena seemed to chew on this for a moment.

“So Kara was offended I would defame my body with her crest. She felt I was dishonouring myself.” Lena chewed on that answer for a minute and studied Alex’s hopeful face.

“I am the youngest female CEO in the world Alex, you don’t think I am going to accept that answer do you? I will grant you it is part of the truth put not all of it.” Lena said calmly but with a resolute tone and once again that infuriating eyebrow flick.

Alex let out a whoosh of breath. “Too much to ask you would leave it there hmm?” Alex smiles weakly and when Lena’s face doesn’t move she sighs in defeat.

“Guess not. Do you know any more about the Houses of Krypton?” Alex asked.

Lena’s forehead scrunched, “No.” And she sounded so dismayed by the answer that Alex couldn’t help but smile.

“You haven’t failed a test Lena. This knowledge is held close. I only know because I grew up with Kara, some of it even Clark doesn’t know. Unless he has researched the history of his House which I doubt.”

Lena’s face relaxed and then she slumped back into the couch waiting for Alex to continue.

“The House of El is actually called the Great and Noble House of El. It was one of only 28 such Houses, gaining the dual distinction because at one point in history the House of El during the era of Kryptonian expansion lead the colony of one of the 28 known galaxies. Kara describes it as ‘ _an age after Krypton gave up on the failed experiment of democracy’_ and a number of families returned to a feudal, familial style of rule. Those strong enough to lead a colony essentially became independent nations with a single person as the supreme leader, making their own laws and customs. In a lot of ways, on the fringes of space, Kryptonians reverted to a _less civilised_ conqueror and collonial mentality.”

Lena’s face grew more and more shocked as she listened, her pale skin turning ghostly and her eyes huge, “Lead the colony, of a galaxy, a single leader…you’re saying Kara is descended from bloody Kryptonian Royalty!” Lena croaked.

Alex winced but didn’t deny it, “The words royalty, king and queen are very human ideas. The Kryptonian translates to more: High Leader and enforcer.” Alex offered innocently. Lena groaned.

“Anyway,” Alex continued, “After the age of expansion and Kryptonian society shrank, returning to Krypton and regulating their population The Great and Noble House of El was one of the 284 Noble houses and one of 28 Great and Noble Houses that advised and voted to power half of the Kryptonian High council. That tattoo is a seal of her family and _of a feudal heritage.”_

Lena’s mind was working a mile a minute trying to figure out the emphasis Alex was putting in her explanation and why it was so important.

“Less civilised…feudal…” Lena ruminated on the words aloud and a thought began to form in her mind, one that began to make her feel ill and could explain why Kara hated seeing her tattoo, but she needed it confirmed.

Alex sat placidly, expression open as Lena began to draw conclusions.

“What colour crest did the members of Hour El _wear_?” Lena asked.

“Only ever red.” Alex stated succinctly.

“And tattoos were an anathema to kryptonian people. But…God, they are more like us than Lex could ever have dreamed. Who did they tattoo Alex and what colour?” Lena’s eyes were huge the reality hitting home.

Alex sighed, “You know the answer Lena.”

“Slaves” Lena stated, the word toneless and dropping from her mouth like ash.  “And they tattooed them in black?”

“Yes” Alex nodded mournfully.

“So when Kara saw my tattoo…” Lena hesitated.

“I suppose she was ashamed. It is the visual reminder of a dark part of her Family and her House’s past. A reminder that you had emblazoned on your body in perfect detail and black ink. You who are her best friend and who she loves. You had a mark of disrespect, of bondage and possession marked onto your skin from a past Era when Kara’s family ruled. For Kara seeing her best friend with a mark that denotes something so horrible must be painful. Kara was raised and taught about her heritage, to be proud of it but also with all of her intellect and her open heart to be terribly ashamed of the things her family once did. Lest she forget as she always said. The mere idea of explaining what it meant probably hurt and shamed her, what would you think?” Alex said.

Lena cocked that infuriating eyebrow and curved her lips into a sardonic smile, “Yes Agent Danvers whatever would I know about shameful families and having to admit to painful truths?”

Alex looked shocked for a moment at Lena’s wicked humour but soon gave into a full laugh.

“I suppose her anxiety is kind of silly, if anyone would understand it would be you. But you have to understand, for Kara to tell you that you have a symbol that means something so degrading on you, she would never want to hurt you like that or hurt your relationship Plus it must have been a hell of a shock to her when she first saw it.”

Lena puffed a breath, “You keep saying the word relationship, and I haven’t forgotten the cow eyes comment agent Danvers. Your sister is my best friend and her fear and silent treatment the last three days has done more harm to my nerves and our friendship than any little tattoo ever could.”

Alex looks worried at this pronouncement, “Lena, you have to know Kara loves you, would never want to hurt you.”

Lena frowns, not fully grasping what Alex is saying, “I love Kara too, but she can’t keep things from me and expect me to work it out through telepathy when something upsets her.”

Alex smiles and jumps to her feet saluting Lena sarcastically, “Yes Mam. I will let Kara know.”

Lena frowns as she goes to lift her phone, and Alex speaks, “But seriously, Lena, You two will be alright now?”

Lena taps out a quick text to Kara, _-Alex visited. I know your Majesty…or is that High leader and enforcer.-_

“It will be fine,” Lena says and smiles genuinely for the first time in days.

Alex grins back, “What are my chances of getting to the elevator without Jess trying to verbally eviscerate me or incinerate me on the spot with her glare?

“No chance at all Agent Danvers” Lena laughs as she lead Alex to the door.

______________________________________________________________________

It was barely fifteen minutes since Alex had left that Lena heard the gentle thud on her balcony before a hesitant knock sounded on her balcony door.

Lena looked up to see Kara fiddling nervously with the edge of her cape in full Supergirl uniform and a kicked puppy expression of guilt on her face.

Lena wanted to be mad at Kara for the stress she had put her through the last three days and for her inability to talk and explain the problem. Yet, seeing Kara at her balcony, so guilty but also finally, for the first time in three days, there, present. Lena was just glad she was here.

“Come in Supergirl” Lena called out.

Kara hesitantly stepped into the office.

“Hi,” She whispered, her eyes flicking to her boots, her twisting cape and back to Lena.

Lena sighed and held her arms open. The next thing she knew she was in a bone crushing hug, surrounded by the burning warmth of Kara and the smell of fresh air and the faintest hint of rain.

Lena sighed, and for the first time in three days relaxed in a way that no mud bath could ever accomplish.

“I’m sorry. I should have explained. I was just so ashamed, and upset, and you seemed proud of the tattoo and I couldn’t find the words…” Kara rambled into the side of Lena’s neck. Inhaling her expensive perfume that did nothing to cover the scent that was so exquisitely and uniquely Lena.

Lena snuggled closer into Kara’s strong side, having to push on tiptoes even in heels to match her height. “It’s fine your majesty.” Lena mumbled.

It was the wrong thing to say, Kara stiffened, going from soft and warm to being a statue of rigid steel in Lena’s arms. “Don’t say that” Kara bit off.

“I was teasing Kara. I am sorry. It was in poor taste, but you know that family shames and complex family issues cause me to make inappropriate jokes.”

Fractionally Kara softened again, “I know, it’s just you are so important to me Lena and with the history between our families I don’t want you to ever feel like I am...overpowering you. Trying to own or control you.”

Lena fought tears at the sincerity and hesitancy in Kara’s voice, clutching her tighter.

“You only ever make me feel safe Kara, and after next week it won’t be an issue. I will have the tattoo removed this week.”

Kara drew back, her arms falling to rest lightly on Lena’s waist. Kara looked Lena in the eye, “I don’t want you to get rid of it because I told you to. That feels wrong. “

“It’s fine Kara, it makes you uncomfortable, I don’t ever want there to be something between us that makes you feel like that, I don’t want you to hate anything about me and I know how precious your crest is to your sense of family. I got it as a promise to never be like Lex, I think just by being here with you now, being willing to remove it for your comfort…well that makes me the very opposite of him.” Lena said resolutely.

Kara looked, if anything, even more uncomfortable and upset, “I don’t hate it, I could never hate anything about you.” Kara says softly, her voice wavering and her eyes darting to Lena’s lips, her left side and then her boots as a light blush overtakes her cheeks.

Lena’s brow furrow trying to make sense of it and Kara’s embarrassed body language. “You don’t hate the slave mark?” Lena questions hesitantly, something whispering at the edge of her consciousness and then slipping away.

“No! I mean Yes, I mean… ” Kara looked at Lena with wild panicked eyes.

“shhh, breath Kara, I’m not going anywhere, I’m not mad. Explain this to me please, we are having a large clash of cultures, I need you to explain. I won’t be hurt or offended if you explain.” Lena reassured.

Kara looked so desperate and anxious, her hands on Lena’s waist drifted lower and her right hand hovered over the offending tattoo.

“I wasn’t upset and freaked out **_just_** because it is traditionally and historically a slave tattoo on my world.” Kara hesitantly answered. Her eyes pleading for Lena to understand.

Lena nodded shallowly but inside was preparing herself for the next blow. What else could be wrong with the tattoo? Is there another reason Kara doesn’t want me to have it, another reason she got so upset?

Kara blushed. “I learned all about the slave marks growing up and when I came to this planet, seeing people with tattoos and learning why they get them was difficult. But I have been socialised on this planet for over ten years now Lena…I think and feel other things too. Things that conflict with my knee jerk Kryptonian thoughts.”

Lena’s mind was running a mile a minute and her breathing had become shallow as she breathily asked “And what other things did my tattoo make you feel?”

Kara blushed tomato red and looked away but Lena was having none of that and gently pulled Kara’s chin so she was looking her dead in the eye, “What thoughts Kara?” Lena husked.

In a whisper Kara confessed, “Aroused, pleased, possessive.” And again her head sunk in shame at her admission.

Lena fought the flicker of a smile and the implications of these words, she had to be sure. “So you want me to keep the tattoo?” Lena whispered.

Kara shook her head vehemently, “No, it looks like a slave mark. I would never want that kind of relationship with you.”

“But a relationship with arousal and possession you want…one where I could wear your crest?” Lena pressed, her words soft, scared that saying them too loud would scare Kara away.

Kara’s breathing became rapid and shallow, her pupils blown as she nodded, looking afraid but hopeful.

“Red is the traditional colour for the crest. Where on the body would it be worn by family Kara?” Lena asked.

Kara lifted her left hand from Lena’s waist and touched the left side of Lena’s chest just below her collar bone. “Here”

Lena’s lips could no longer resist the sly smile, “So if I had the black slave mark removed and a red crest tattooed here…” Lena pressed her left hand over Kara’s on her chest and her right hand slid into Kara’s hair. “Would that be acceptable…would that show the right thoughts and feelings that you have for me Kara?”

“Yes!” Kara husked.

Their lips crashing together in an almost desperate kiss before it gentled. Their left hands caught between each other, Kara’s right gripping the mark on Lena’s rear and Lena gripping Kara’s hair.

The Mark of the House of El had found a new home and a new member.

The end.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. Please comment and thank you to everyone who read this little three shot. And thanks to the many author who entertain me on a daily basis.

**Author's Note:**

> _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
> A/N:And that’s the first chapter of what I think will be a three shot. Hope you enjoyed it. Any guesses as to why Kara reacted that way to the tattoo? Please comment. If anyone wants to copy this first chapter and use it as a jump off point to continue your own version, feel free, I will update soon.


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